The present invention relates to a coin dispenser for dispensing desired amount of coins in accordance with selection pattern information applied from a control system.
Generally, a coin dispenser comprises a plurality of containers for storing coins, each container containing a predetermined kind of coins. Some containers, for example two containers, contain the same kind of coins which are the most frequently selected coins. This type of coin dispenser further comprises a selection pattern generator for selecting desired containers to dispense desired amount of money in accordance with dispense amount information applied to the selection pattern generator.
The two containers containing the same kind of coins must be selected at a same frequency, or the coins contained in the two containers must be dispensed at the same rate in order to stabilize the operation of the coin dispenser. In the conventional coin dispenser, there is a possibility that coins contained in one container are all dispensed although another container contains some amount of coins of the same kind as stored in the one container. Under these conditions, the coin dispenser erroneously operates or can not operate.
The above-mentioned unbalanced delivery is caused by the conventional system, wherein the selection pattern generator develops a predetermined selection signal in response to the dispense amount information, and the container selection is controlled by the selection signal derived from the selection pattern generator without regard to the preceding selection operation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a coin dispenser of stable operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a coin dispenser which includes a plurality of containers for containing the same kind of coins, and wherein the plurality of containers dispense the coins of the same kind at a same rate.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system for a coin dispenser, which controls the coin dispensation taking account of the preceding dispensation.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
To achieve the above objects, pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention, a selection pattern generator is provided for developing a selection signal in response to dispense amount information applied thereto. A plurality of containers contain the same kind of coins. A selection switching means is interposed between the selection pattern generator and a driver means connected to the containers so that the containers containing the same kind of coins are sequentially selected.